Prague, Jan 29 (CTK) – Some 30 Czech teachers were taught Friday how to include the topic of migration in the instruction and how they could discuss it with schoolchildren at a seminar held within the educational project One World at School staged by the People in Need NGO.
They can also be helped by documentaries within the project, so far joined by 3300 schools.
“It is not easy to include the topic of migration in the instruction. We are trying to lend a helping hand to the teachers,” project head Karel Strachota has said.
“This is our answer to the frequently used argument that the topic has no place at school,” he added.
“However, if we do not offer the children any information and the chance to ask and discuss, they will find some shouts elsewhere,” Strachota said.
In recent days, a comic book about the trip of an Afghan boy to Sweden, offered by the META group in support of migrants, sparked off mixed reactions.
Due to the animated story, prepared by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR), the group has faced threats.
President Milos Zeman said it was stupid and dangerous.
Education Minister Katerina Valachova (Social Democrats, CSSD) distanced herself from it and said the ministry would not distribute it in schools.
Strachota said at the seminar, the teachers were not given any clear instruction on what to tell schoolchildren about migration and how they should speak about it with them.
Rather, they should tell the children there was a need to listen and to respect different views, critically examining the media news.
“The children should not obey fast and easy solutions,” Strachota said.
He said teachers’ earlier reactions had shown that it was not easy to get the topic to the instruction.
Sometimes parents are opposed to this, Strachota said.
According to organisers, the teachers may use films about migration in their lessons. Eight of them are now offered and after the annual festival of documentaries on human rights One World ends in mid-March, another three will be added, Strachota said.
After the end of Friday’s screening the teachers were to describe their impressions from the scenes in the films by a single word.
They named sadness, anguish, solidarity, desperation, hope, shame, ambivalence and fear.
The seminar also staged a debate on Islam, including a discussion with a Muslim. Another two similar events will be held in February and March.
